


A Storm Approaches

by ellanellan



Series: Fable's End [1]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Dragon Age: Inquisition Spoilers, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-26
Updated: 2015-04-26
Packaged: 2018-03-25 18:55:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3821179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellanellan/pseuds/ellanellan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been almost a year since the defeat of Corypheus, and the disappearance of Solas. Our inquisitor has been left with a feeling of emptiness, but a storm approaches.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Storm Approaches

Ellana awoke to the sun shining blindingly bright into her room. She allowed herself a moment of disoriented squinting before dragging herself out of bed. After flinging her comforter to the floor, she trudged over to her dresser to get ready. No armor for today, the only battles she had been a part of in months were political. She held her shoulder plates for a moment; longingly, before setting them down and putting on her regular clothes.

Once she was decent, she made her way downstairs to see if her advisers had anything to report. Nothing, things had been slow for so long now. Their work wasn’t done; of course, but Ellana didn’t feel like her political moves were actually improving anything, though Josephine would insist otherwise. She was no longer on the battlefields, and something about that didn’t feel right. She didn’t want to be cooped up here forever. She needed something to happen, anything. A thrown was no place for a dalish elf to live out the rest of her days. She missed the edge, the danger, the woods.. She had been planning a trip to Crestwood for some time now, her excuse was that she wanted to study some of the cave paintings she saw there. Leliana insisted that her spies could gather information for her, and even recreate the paintings for Ellana to see at Skyhold. She would keep insisting that she needed to see them herself, but even Cullen thought she should stay and let Leliana take care of it. She just needed a better excuse, but She couldn’t tell them she just needed to see the place Solas took her last year. She was convinced there would be some kind of answer there, a note, another cryptic painting, anything.

Even after all these months without him, she couldn’t allow herself to believe that he could just leave without some kind of explanation. His last fresco baffled her, a wolf and slain dragon. She had no idea what it meant, but she knew it had to be something very important; sadly she was the only one that seemed to care. It was as if everyone but her had expected it. Some even seemed happy he was gone, no more crazy-liberal ideas being ‘whispered’ into the inquisitor’s ear.

She needed to go alone, but she knew that would never happen. She was “too important” Josephine would say. A dalish important, it had been so long she had been hearing that, yet it still didn’t feel right.

Ellana sighed aloud, enthralled in her own thoughts and not paying attention to the usual arguments her advisers were having in the war room. Soldiers this, politics that, spies..

“So you Agree then? “ Josephine questioned?

“hmm..?” Ellana replied half heartedly.

“We should send an ally diplomat to the-..or you weren’t listening.. Inquisitor, I know this isn’t all swords and fireballs, but it is just as important.”

“I know, I’m sorry..I just.. I think I need a break from all of this.”

“This could be the turning point for us Inquisitor, with Cassandra as the new Divine backing us, and our political allies in Orlais, there has never been so much..Inquisitor? are you even…” She ended with a disappointed groan.

“I’ll be in my quarters if you need anything signed, you don’t need me for this….”

And with that Ellana started towards the exit, when one of Cullen’s men came bursting through the doors.

“Commander Cullen! I-Inquisitor..I uuhh..” He trailed nervously.

“Spit it out..” Cullen said, obviously irritated.

“Something is approaching the fortress!, its coming from the North.”

“Something, what is it? A dragon?” Cullen questioned urgently. Ellana just listened, ready for anything.

“It..looks like a giant..smoke cloud..”

“A smoke cloud? You’re coming to tell me that there’s a smoke cloud approaching?” Cullen spoke coming towards the scared soldier.

“No No!, it-it has eyes! Big red ones! And it’s coming fast!”

“For the love of..” Cullen said more irritated than ever, bringing a hand to drag across his face.

“Maybe we should look into this.” Ellana spoke, not meaning to sound so excited.

“If you insist, Inquisitor.. “

“Show me?”

“Y-yes Inquisitor! Right this way!”

The three exited the war room, and continued on their path to the watch towers. Once they got to where the soldier was leading them, Ellana gazed down the mountain, not seeing anything yet.

“Its there.” The soldier said, pointing in another direction.

There it was, this big black cloud. It wasn’t really cloud like, it moved more like fire, and it did have what seemed to be big red eyes, but there weren’t just two of them, she could see at least 4 from a distance. She watched as it billowed up the mountain, barely touching the ground as it passed.

“What the hell is that” She whispered.

“I don’t know, but it’s moving fast, signal the platoons! We need to hold the fortress with everything we’ve got!” Cullen ordered.

“Yes ser!” The soldier yelped, before turning and running off.

Ellana continued to stare at the creature; it was at least half way up the mountain by now.

“Inquisitor, we may need you down there.”

“Yeah..” She said without looking away.

“How long do you think we have?”

“Not long, 15 minutes maybe? We need to hurry.”

“Alert my circle, will you?” She asked before turning, and jogging away.

Ellana reached her room shortly, and rummaged through her belongings, looking for all the pieces of her armor. Once she had everything on, she rushed to her balcony to catch another glimpse of the creature. It was almost to the Skyhold gates. She bolted back downstairs, and out of the main hall to the courtyard where everyone was gathered. Cullen had his soldiers in position, and the mages were holding a barrier up in front of the gates. She spotted Iron Bull in the crowed, and decided to fall in near him.

“So what’s going on?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. Whatever it is, I’m excited, my men haven’t had a target in weeks!” He spoke with enthusiasm, causing her to grin.

“Of course you would be excited, you get to bash things with that big weapon of yours. Is that even a sword? Or just a giant hunk of metal?” Dorian chimed in.

“I don’t know Sparkler, I think we’ve all been itching for a little action.” Varric clued in, taking a spot next to Ellana. She could barely see Blackwall behind his giant shield, but assumed he had been quietly standing there this whole time.

“Just like old times.” He spoke, turning towards the group. Ellana looked a little ways behind her, and saw Cole kneeling under his hate. Behind the crowed as usual.

“Almost..” She said turning back, and looking sadder than she intended.

“Yeah, except for the lack of big-stupid-breachy thing!” Sera practically shouted.

“I don’t think that’s what she meant.” Varric corrected.

“Right…, what then? Coryphspit?” Varric only sighed in response.

“Hold position!”

Upon hearing Cullen’s orders, the whole group turned forward, weapons at the ready.

It had grown eerily quite as they waited for the attack. The only sound being the subtle humming of the fade, and this black storm approaching. The mages were up front, with soldiers just behind them in case their barrier was penetrated. They were all in a line about 100 yards away from the gates. There must have been 200 men up front at least, with archers and more mages on higher ground. Ellana stood just behind the first couple of rows of soldiers, ready for whatever was to come.

The creature really did sound like a storm. In her mind she could see a whirlwind of black smoke, spinning so fast you could hear the collisions of the air whipping against itself. Growing ever closer until it reached them. And without warning, the wooden gates to the hold were ripped away. There was nothing left of them, it was as if it had violently ceased to exist. But what stood in its place was something awful. This creature of black flames and smoke stood at least 20 feet high. Smoldering down at them with glowing red orbs. At second glance the beast looked almost canine. The fire and smoke of its fur fluttering in the wind. Suddenly Ellana felt something all too familiar in regards to this beast. She had seen it before in her dreams. She’d known its name, felt its cause. She was feeling ill all of a sudden. Something was very wrong, but her memory was returning too slowly for her to know what.

Then the beast took one shaky paw forward and collapsed in a gust of smoke. Its black form was beginning to dissipate into the air, and Ellana started to push through the crowed. She needed to be closer, to see what was happening. She could feel a connection to this beast, though she didn’t remember why. She just knew she could trust it. Him.

“Attack!!”

“Wait! It’s not here to harm us!” Ellana shouted as loud as her lungs would allow, pushing through the crowed and running towards the darkness.

“Inquisitor, stop!” She heard someone shouting, but she didn’t look to see who.

She was almost there when the smoke had completely dissipated, and revealed what was beneath. A white wolf collapsed in the snow, its fur blending in. It would have all but disappeared if it weren’t for the blood. It was badly wounded, and it was only then that she could see the blood trailing behind it.

“Archers-!!”

“No, don’t!!!” She screamed, throwing her arms up, to block the creature from view as she finally reached its side.

The wolf was very weak, his 6 blue eyes only barely able to stay open. They store back up at her pleadingly. His wounds were deep and ran from bellow his jaw and down to his belly, but she couldn’t tell what could have caused such a wound. This wolf was godlike; nothing simple could have done this. She could see him shuttering, and instinctively she ran her hands through his fur to calm him down.

“He needs help!” She shouted, looking behind her.

“He’s badly wounded; he won’t make it much longer!’

She could see Dorian and Iron Bull jogging up closer.

“Wasn’t it dying kind of the point?” Dorian spoke, only a few feet away.

“I know this wolf..”

“Wolf? Ohh…” He spoke, looking over Ellana’s shoulder to see it lying there in a pool of blood.

“Well couldn’t it have just asked for help, rather than storm in all red eyed?”

“Dorian..” She pleaded.

“Alright, alright…” He hushed, kneeling next to the great beast, his hands at one with the fade. He brought them down over his wounds, and she could feel him flinch in her hands. The wolf Began to whimper and kick from the pain, and she just continued to hold him still in her hands, stroking the fur between his ears.

“Shhhh..you’ll be ok..”

“So how is it you know this wolf anyway? Or is this just a dalish thing?”

“You think the dalish would still be living in the woods if they all knew giant-ass nightmare wolves?” Iron Bull spoke, stepping to the right of the three.

“Point taken…I’ve stopped the bleeding, but this is going to take some time..”

“Cold, it is so cold here. I was lost, wounded, howling, I could not see you. The flesh was torn, screaming, I should not have come, selfish, selfish.. but I was scared. I made her forget, we met in her dreams, clouded, but now clear. Should not have come, should not be here, the burden is heavy and old, faces lost between world, so much hurt there, an ancient hurt clear as the water. ‘The fate is mine alone..I would not wish it on an enemy’.. ‘forget.’ But I do not want to die alone.” Cole; illusive as ever, had managed to creep up next to the group without anyone noticing.

“He is lonely, I want to help.. but his pain is more than that.. Hands pressed in warm fur, holding tight as rope, don’t leave me again.. no.. lips.. but how?..the feelings are deep down, there is a fog and I can only just feel it..I can’t pull too hard or he’ll snap..”

“Creepy..” Iron Bull spoke with a shudder.

“We need to move him.” Ellana spoke, turning her gaze from the wolf, and looking to her peeress.

“This thing broke through our defenses; wounded, and you want to welcome it in?” Cullen chimed in, only just making it to them.

“This thing is my friend..I remember some now..why did you make me forget? I only ever wanted to help you, why do you have to be so damn stubborn..” She trailed into a hushed whisper. Her memory was still fogy, but she knew these words to be true.

“But he is cold..we need to move him inside, we could keep him in the cell’s if it will ease your mind Cullen, but I’m not leaving him out here.”

“If you insist..I’ll find something to help lift..him.” Cullen said, before turning and running off, shouting orders here and there. Ellana was no longer listening. She sat there in the snow, her limbs growing numb, but she didn’t care. All she cared about was her dear friend, drifting away in her arms. His eye lids were heavy, and she was so worried that at any moment his eyes would close and never open again. She felt all of this, but then she was still unsure as to why. But her fear was making her anxious, and she knew she could no longer hold herself together when the tears started to roll along her face, making little pits in the snow. She was suddenly gasping for air, and shivering from the cold. Every gust of wind would send her shaking like a leaf.

“Boss, we can handle this, you’re freezing.” IronBull’s concern pulled her mind back to reality.

“She wants to stay here with him.. she’s scared she’ll forget again..” And Cole was right.

“If she stays there any longer, we’ll have to amputate those bony legs of hers.”

Not a moment later, Cullen showed up with a few of his soldiers, and a field gurney. Dorian, IronBull, and Cole all cleared the way so the soldiers could set it down next to the wolf’s body. She watched in silence as they carefully lifted him up onto the gurney, and carried him off. She stood up a little too abruptly, and trailed closely behind. She wasn’t letting this wolf out of her sight, she felt like if she did she would lose him for good. Or lose him again, she wasn’t sure which; but both felt right.

The courtyard was full of curious onlookers. They made a path for the group to pass through, though it seemed mostly out of their own fear. She could see the people pushing past each other to get a better look. There were a lot of shocked gasps and whispers; even a few screams. Ellana knew this would need to be explained to these people that looked up to her, but she didn’t yet know what to say. She barely knew what was happening herself, but she knew this wolf was important to her.

This wolf that would come to her in her dreams. She focused on pulling her memories out of this fog. She remembered glimpses of the time she spent with him, exploring the fade. She remembered the eleven ruins she visited with him, the ballrooms alive as they were before the fall, just an imprint lost in a dream. But the memories she had a hold on were still riddled with holes, and questions. This wolf was like no other, and she did not know how she came to care for him. This wolf she grew up hearing nightmarish tales of. His name was thrown around like a warning when she was growing up. “Take the Dread Wolf by the ears if he comes.” They’d say. He was this being of deceit, a dark cloud on eleven history. Yet there he was, this vulnerable old soul, and the fear of him dying had her screaming inside.

“Dread Wolf..is that his name?..no..there is another..but I can’t see it..” Cole questioned, quietly following behind.

“The Dread Wolf? Is that what we are harboring? “ Dorian spoke, with his usual cynical tone.

“It isn’t like the stories.” Ellana replies as they made it downstairs to the prison cells, finally away from the onlookers.

“How would you know for sure? Isn’t he said to be this god of deception or something?”

“Either way, if he tries anything down here he’ll collapse the structure.” Cullen spoke up, not sounding too pleased about the situation.

Cullen approached a cell to the left, and pulled out his keys. It took him a moment to find the right one, but once the cell door was open he moved aside to make way for his soldiers to carry the beast in. They set him down gently, and rushed out, visibly frightened.

“We’ll have a few guards watching the entrance at all times, just in case.”

“Ok..” Ellana replied, not really paying attention.

She stepped into the cell a little uneasy, it was far too windy. The structure wasn’t as dangerous as it was when they first came to Skyhold, but then it wasn’t much better either. The right side was still collapsed, but the walkways on the left had been recently replaced, yet the open environment had already been eating away at the wood’s surface.

“Unfortunately, healing wounds isn’t exactly my forte, but I do know this little eleven healer. Should do the trick, though he’s a bit shy. It’s quite adorable actually ..”

“That would be great, Dorian..” She murmured, turning to see concerned faces staring back at her.

“I don’t mean to tell yah how to do your job, but are you sure this is a good idea? IronBull shrugged.

“You are scared of him..you think he’s a demon?” Cole asked.

“Did you not see that thing earlier?”

“We should go, if anyone can handle this it’s her.” Cullen spoke, shooing everyone back down the corridor.

Ellana let out a sigh, and knelled back down next to the great beast. His fur was blindingly bright compared to the cobblestone he was sprawled out on. She could see him still shivering, but he calmed when she forked her fingers through his long fur. ‘What did you do..’ she whispered. The wolf only whimpered in response, his breathing erratic. She could see him fighting sleep, kicking every once in a while to jolt himself back awake.

“why are you fighting it, you should rest..”

Another whimper.

She was trying not to get stuck staring at his wounds, looking too hard gave her this chill that shot up her spine. The wounds were too deep, even after Dorian’s magic. The bleeding had stopped, but that only made looking harder, in some places she swore she could see all the way to the bone, but she was no anatomy expert. He needed stitches, bandages, something.. But she didn’t want to leave him here alone while he was still fighting sleep. It was becoming a rhythm. He would kick, and all of his muscles would tense for a moment before he would drift again. She would stroke his fur gently, trying to get him to sleep, but it wasn’t working. So she began to hum. The melody was slow and longing. She couldn’t remember why she knew it, but the notes were flowing past her lips and echoing off the cobblestone. She could feel him slipping. And finally he was asleep, breathing softly. She began to get up to find go Dorian, when something started happening.

His form began to glow, and Ellana had to look away from how bright it had suddenly become. She squinted and brought up her arm to shield some of the light from her eyes. She could see his form slowly beginning to change shape. It had begun to stretch and distort until she could see a figure start to emerge. ‘was this his other form?’ This was something she couldn’t recall seeing. Though the holes in her memory were bright. ‘was this something I've seen but can’t recall?’

The form started to still, and the glow was dimming. Ellana dropped her arm beside her, gasping at what lay there. Everything had come back all at once. This wolf had come to her in her dreams; night after night, until she trusted it completely. And when she did, it changed. She knew everything now. She knew in her dreams, but when she woke up he made it so she would forget. Normally upon remembering her first reaction would be anger. But all she felt know was fear, a fear that left her shaking. She could have lost the love of her life today, and never even known. She would have lived the rest of her life thinking he left her, and never came back. Thinking he didn’t love her. How could he take away something so precious? How could he put himself in such danger and not allow her to help? This could have been prevented. He would say that the burden was his, but all she wanted was to shoulder it with him. All she had ever wanted was to be there for him, but he wouldn’t allow it. She was shut out due to his stubborn pride. And now her worst fears were becoming reality. 

“Solas..what have you done..”

~~~~

**Author's Note:**

> I have a lot of plans for this!, it should be interesting. I hope anyone that reads this fare has enjoyed this, there will be more to come! ^.^


End file.
